Apple to use its retail store staff to help improve iOS 6 Maps

Yes, Apple’s Maps app is something of a mess; yes, the company’s CEO considered the situation to be so serious that he issued a letter of apology to those who’d downloaded it as part of iOS 6; and yes, they’ve been told that the more they use Maps, the better it’ll get. So in short, you might have to put up with a load of wrong directions before you begin to get some right ones.

To speed things up a bit and get Maps heading in the right direction, rumor has it that retail workers at Apple stores around the world are about to be sent on the road to check its mapping data and make corrections where needed.

According to MacRumors, which gathered its information from multiple sources, the plan is currently being tested by ten employees at one store, with a ‘subject matter expert’ leading the team. The precise methods used to carry out the work aren’t currently known, MacRumors said, though it claimed that “changes to maps will reportedly be submitted through a dedicated internal portal on Apple’s systems.”

With 40,000 retail store workers at some 400 stores across 12 countries, the input from the Apple employees will be something of a small step towards helping improve what is considered by many to be a bit of a shoddy product just now.

Of course, if Apple’s Maps app is causing you more frustration than it’s worth, you can always check out these free and paid-for alternatives as suggested by DT’s Molly McHugh.

Google is said to be preparing a Maps app for iPhone, though it could be a few months before it sees the light of day. In the meantime, its own Maps Web app may suffice.

If you’re an iOS user, have you found a decent alternative to Apple’s Maps app, or are you getting along with it just fine?